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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

2 Inspiring Veteran Stories...2 Good Reasons to Run!

Over the course of the last year, as I have trained for the Run Across America, veterans have occupied a decent percentage of my thinking. Especially when I am out on the road running, I think a lot about our young men and women who face danger every day. 4,600 Killed and over 40,000 injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. These people deserve to be in our thoughts every day.

I am sharing two stories I found on the web that are inpiring and represent the kind of people that I am dedicating my 2,500 miles to. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Meet Eddie Ryan and Bryan Purcell. Eddie is a Marine, who at the age of 21 had his life changed by two bullets that penetrated his helmet during a firefight in Iraq. The bullets severely damaged his brain leaving him paralyzed. Bryan is a Marine that decided to help Eddie complete the Marine Corp Marathon in 2010. The video below is really inspiring...take the time to watch it...

Another inspiring story of turning a life devastating event into something positive is the amazing attitude and accomplishment of Juan Beltran. Juan is a Chief Warrant Officer who became a quadriplegic when the helicopter he was in crashed in Iraq. He poured his energy into eco friendly home building. This video is another amazing one...wow!

As I enter into the final 30 days before my RunAcrossAmerica starts, take a minute to think about our service men and women...also, if you know a vet or are wanting to help, please donate to Freedom is Not Free by going HERE (Click on my run to donate to FINF in conjuction with my run!)

I had to take the day off of training today...I am sick as dawg with a cold. I ran 44 miles with it Saturday and again yesterday. Now I am paying the price!